Successful PhD Defense at NTNU Trondheim – Congratulations, Dr. Mahdis Moradi!

A great day at NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim for Mahdis Moradi, who successfully defended her PhD thesis (title: “Managing Trust in Digital Infrastructures: The Case of the OSDU Open-Source Ecosystem in the Energy Industry”). Her dissertation addressed a highly topical question: How can trust be created and embedded in digital infrastructures that bring together organizations, technologies, professional communities and competing interests? Drawing on the evolution of the OSDU ecosystem in the energy industry, Mahdis shows that digital transformation is not merely about implementing new technologies, but equally about governance, institutional change, cross-boundary collaboration and trust within sociotechnical systems. The day began with Mahdis' trial lecture, in which she took the topic of her dissertation further and connected it to the rapidly evolving role of Artificial Intelligence. This provided an excellent bridge towards broader questions of how AI is transforming organizations, knowledge and decision-making. After the lunch break, the formal defense began. For more than an hour, Gordon Müller-Seitz had the pleasure of engaging with Mahdis as First Opponent, followed by almost another hour of discussion with Second Opponent Dr. Per Einar Weiseth. Both sessions were characterized by thoughtful questions, critical discussion and an impressive command of her research and its theoretical and practical implications. The examination committee was chaired by my old colleague, Prof. Dr. Michael Grothe-Hammer. For Gordon, it was a particular pleasure to contribute to this important academic milestone as an internationally appointed examiner and to engage so deeply with a research project at the intersection of digital transformation, innovation ecosystems, governance and trust. And most importantly: Mahdis successfully passed her defense and could finally celebrate what she had achieved. Her happiness and relief at the end of this long academic journey were unmistakable. Congratulations, Dr. Mahdis Moradi – and all the very best for the next chapter of your career!